A New Reason To Fight: An Intergalactic Romance

by T. J. Brandow

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

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  ONE

  “The most disconcerting part of this job is leaving on your mission on what you perceive as Friday, then returning ten days later to discover that it’s actually been more than ten years since you left,” said Greto Narn to the classroom filled with excited graduates who were each ready to head out into the universe and begin collecting. “In a job like this one, most people prefer to take their families along for the ride.”

  “But didn’t you say there was limited space on these vessels, sir?” asked his son, Krai, with a frown. “I mean, that’s the reason you gave for leaving me here with my mom.”

  “Son, please, there were other factors in that decision that you didn’t understand,” he shrugged. “Suffice it to say, it would not have been nearly as fun as the voyage we undertook last week.”

  “But that was to a known world, and its plants and animals are well documented,” Krai pointed out. “This new mission is something completely different. Even the planets and their positions themselves have yet to be documented out there.”

  “And that is exactly why I’m sending you,” Greto explained. “You’re young, and unattached. You’re free to be gone just a little bit longer than the norm. While it’s true that it means we won’t see each other for seventeen years my time, I’m confident that you will do me proud.”

  “Sir, you could always take a nap in the cryotank,” Ynari reminded him. “You don’t want to be in your dotage when Krai gets back, do you?”

  “Not to worry, I’ll be out on a voyage of my own,” he shrugged. “My two missions should help to keep my physical age closer to Krai’s own. In this business, it’s not uncommon for the father to actually become younger than the son, as you know. But if we time it right, Krai and I might well live plenty of lifetimes and find time to finally get to know one another. I think that is much better than suffering through it all alone.”

  “You two have got to be one of the bravest families I’ve ever known,” Ynari said, wiping a tear from her eye. “It just goes to show, collecting biologics from distant worlds for study doesn’t mean you’re completely on your own. Sacrificing my life for science was something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s just great to see it won’t mean I’ll never be a wife or a mother into the bargain. I am inspired by this truth.”

  “Well, that’s good,” said Greto with a smile. “That’s exactly what we came here to do today. And I want to thank all you folks for inviting us here. Some of you, I expect to see at the Klibdow Space Station for Krai’s launch. It’s been a real pleasure working with all of you, and I hope you enjoy your lives, wherever your paths may lead.”

  The two men stepped out of the room to the sound of applause, and Krai breathed a sigh of relief. “Only two more schools to go, and then I can be done with all this socializing. I tell you, Father, I’m definitely looking forward to the solitude for a couple of weeks.”

  “And the sea of new faces when you return, no doubt, since obviously none of these young ladies seems to have done the trick. Not that it matters, I suppose. I don’t really want to come home to find a grandson who is about to begin his career the way I came back to find you.”

  “Come on, now, I never resented you for loving your work,” Krai protested. “In fact, I’ve always been fascinated by what you do. I don’t blame you for satisfying your curiosity.”

  “It’s a hard choice, sometimes, but I would have to say it’s satisfying,” Greto said with a nod. “I hope you’ll find it just as fulfilling as I do.”

  *****

  Krai was strapped into the acceleration couch, lying back as he had been instructed, yet he was still a bit nervous. Sure, he’d traveled in space before, but this was the first time he would go faster than the speed of light. It was also the first practical application of the new engine, which had the capability to do four times light speed. So, on the way to collecting species for study, he was about to become a lab specimen as well.

  “Krai?” said the disembodied voice of a man. “Your heart rate is too fast. Please try to calm down. You’ll be under way very soon, and coming out at the other end. It will be fine, you’ll see.”

  “Thank you,” he replied, sucking in some deep breaths and visualizing the calm, purple trees of springtime on Opharis, the world of his birth. He thought about his mother, who had cried so proudly when he’d told her what career path he had chosen, and a gentle smile crept up onto his face. It was still there when his entire existence went crazy, swirling around and around.

  Clearly, the acceleration had begun. One week his time he remained strapped in, his meals fed to him by Nibido, the mechanoid, who clearly thought nothing of moving around in the mayhem. He supposed it helped that there were no moveable objects within the biologic’s cabin, but Nib frequently went outside of it and into the ship’s engine section as well to make certain all systems remained go.

  He was asleep when the ship finally came to a halt. Collection of samples from the worlds they encountered within the Uglata Sector would be automatic, starting with the farthest world from its star and working inward, and then returning to deep space once again. The expectation seemed to be that several of the moons, and the third planet, all held the possibility of life.

  The Nibido unit had been preprogrammed to guide the starship to each of these worlds, take the collector unit to their surfaces, and collect as wide a range of samples as might exist of all known types of life forms, be they animal, vegetable, or mineral based. Each sample type was meant to be kept in the holding tanks most similar to the world from which they’d been collected and transported back to Klibdow, where they would join the other specimens at the very large zoo which was the planet’s main source of income.

  “Sir?” said Nibido. “We have reached the seventh world. I will be gone for several hours with the collector. It is suggested that you get up now and use the equipment to exercise.”

  “Yes, I’ll be sure to do so,” Krai agreed, and the straps released him as the unit disappeared from view.

  And for the next three days, it went on like that, with Nibido often on some planet or moon gathering specimens, or else navigating their ship to the next destination. Krai began to wonder why they even bothered to send him along. He knew that his primary purpose was to begin sorting the samples into living and non-living beings, but so far that involved deciding if rocks contained microbes or not. There was certainly no reason to bring back non-living payloads on this mission.

  Just as long-range sensors had predicted, the third planet had a breathable atmosphere, and even what looked like pockets of civilization covering its surface. Many thriving cities, and clearly agricultural fields, made it obvious that this world contained sentient life. Krai was so excited upon seeing this that he stood up during the acceleration sequence and struck his head, knocking himself out completely.

  Nibido simply did the robotic equivalent of a shrug and lifted him off the floor and back onto his couch again. The machine quickly assessed the situation and saw that the life form in his care had a mild head injury. As part of the healing process, he would need to get some rest, so Nib also administered a sedative that would be likely to keep him out for some time.

  Then, without another thought beyond completing the mission it had been given, Nib headed for the collector and flew it down to the alien world.

  TWO

  Her fingers flexed, poised over the piano keys. In the dim light it was easy to forget the sea of faces who waited breathlessly for her to play.

  Jasmine Woods already knew before one note sounded that the concert was already a success. They always were. And then, she was playing, the smooth tones permeating the silence, bringing everyone in that hall to tears. Powerful emotion and dreams surged together within her, and her passion became fierce. She moved them all without really trying, and ended her piece with a gentle sigh.

>   Applause erupted everywhere, making Jasmine smile. She got to her feet and took a bow. Her father appeared at her side, bowing as well as he took her by the arm and led her down the stairs.

  “Another triumphant night,” he said with an indulgent smile. “You keep this up, Jasmine, and you’ll even surpass your mother—God rest her soul.”

  “Thanks, Papa,” she said. “But have you given any more thought to sending me to college? I really would like to go somewhere outside of this little patch of land for once in my life.”

  “I don’t think so,” he said, shaking his head sternly. “You don’t know what the real world is like. Cutthroats and hooligans, all. No, I think I will keep you safely by my side. We have more than enough money to provide you with a perfectly good life.”

  “But what about—” she paused, unable to express exactly what it is she wanted to say. How could she tell her father that she didn’t like the crop of proper boys and young men who came here? That they just didn't tickle her fancy? They were all the same cut of cloth, and she wanted to see how the other half lived.

  “About what, Jasmine?” he asked after waiting for her to finish for quite some time.

  “Papa, there are so many things in this world that I long to see,” she admitted. “Only think of all the things mankind has done during my childhood. The Wright brothers invented a flying machine. They dug a canal from one ocean to another, and they unearthed the mummy of an ancient Egyptian king. They created talkies and even have found a way to keep your food cold if you have the money to buy it. And best of all, somebody had the brilliant idea to come up with jazz music. It’s like nothing I’ve ever heard before. The world holds so much promise, and I want to see everything.”

  “As promising as it may be, the world can also get you killed,” her father pointed out. “Don’t forget that epidemic flu killed your mother—God rest her soul.”

  “It isn’t just that I want to see the world,” she complained. “I want to do other things, too. Things every other red-blooded American girl has gotten to do already. Like lose my corset and the long skirts, and maybe even the length of my hair.”

  “Under no circumstances are you to ever cut off your hair, Jasmine,” he told her. “That head of gold is your crowning glory. And if it’s one thing I’ll not have living under my roof, it’s some floozy of a flapper.”

  “But Papa, I’m so tired of being the very last Gibson girl!” she complained.

  “ All the progress in this world is not important. Sure, the stocks are paying our bills and mortgage, and keeping us clothed and fed, but that’s the only concession to progress I’m willing to give. This world won’t be taking away my only child from me, and there’s an end to it.”

  “You’re great, and all that, Papa, but I hardly want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re just not my type,” she said with a chuckle. “And neither are they.”

  She pointed to the group of gentlemen who were waiting at the bottom of the steps for a chance to see her up close. She was certain they were all good men; scholars, musicians, and aficionados who appreciated her skills. Maybe even some who appreciated her assets too. But not one of them knew her. Every one of these men had come calling because they knew her father was loaded. It all had very little to do with her.

  She sighed heavily as her father rolled his eyes.

  “These men are all paid good money to get a chance to hear a young woman with such incredible talent, and now they’ve come to offer their praise. I expect you to accept it graciously, as always,” her father told her in his sternest tone. “This is who we are, Jasmine. All your pining for something more will only bring you grief and ruin. Please, just trust me, won’t you?”

  “Of course, Papa,” she agreed, pasting on a plastic smile once again.

  “Perhaps you still don’t understand me,” he grumbled. “Do you know how hard it is for other young women of twenty-one to get on in this world? None of those girls was allowed to baby their hands so they could use them for recitals. They all had to become waitresses and factory workers and who knows what else while the men were away at war, while you sat here and earned us money with your playing skills.”

  “You know you’re the one who made that decision for me,” Jasmine protested, probably more forcefully than usual because her mood had completely soured. He didn’t need to remind her that she was different from other girls. She knew that well enough already. With a rich stock holder for a father, and a former pianist for a mother, it was no wonder she had turned out as she did.

  A flurry of men surrounded her, offering up compliments and praise. One of them seemed especially persistent, hovering about until the other men had finally left. Worriedly, Jasmine looked up as he gently took her hand. A feeling of dread crept into the pit of her stomach.

  “Would you care to take a turn through the park, Miss Woods?” he inquired hopefully.

  Absently, she said, “My father does not allow me to walk alone with strange men. I’m afraid I’ll have to decline.”

  “Nonsense, my dear,” said her father from his perch nearby. “Jonathan is my good friend, and a fellow investor. I invited him here tonight especially, so that we could discuss some of my investment ideas. You’ll be perfectly safe on a little stroll with him.”

  “Very well,” she said with a disgusted sigh. “Shall we get it over with?”

  Her father cast her another stern look, but Jasmine didn’t care. She was doing what he wanted her to do and following Jonathan toward the large double doors that led out of their palatial Virginia home, and that should be enough for him.

  “I must tell you, Miss Woods, how very lovely you look on this fine evening,” Jonathan enthused as they stepped out into the greenery. When his hand slipped out of hers and rested at the small of her back instead, she let out a surprised gasp and moved away. He firmly placed his hand back where he wanted it again and turned her around so she was facing him.

  “Hey, now, this is the twentieth century,” she grumbled. “Women have got the vote now, and we’re also members of the work force. I don’t have to let you manhandle me if I don’t want you to.”

  “Miss Woods, just exactly who is it you would vote for if your Papa actually allowed you to go to the polls?” he wanted to know.

  “Well, if he’d have let me go before, I’d have voted for Hoover, of course,” she scoffed. “Everybody knows he was the best choice. That’s why he’s our president, right?”

  “Well, how’s a fella supposed to argue with logic like that?” he answered with a chuckle. “Say, listen, I’ve been wondering if you might like me to call you Jazz?”

  “Jazz?” she gasped, then frowned worriedly. “What are you trying to do, make my father mad? If he heard you call me that, he’d probably have a conniption or two.”

  “But what do you think of it?” he asked, smirking.

  “I think it’s kind of nice,” she admitted. “Now, if only Papa would let me learn to play it, that’d be swell too.”

  “I could slip you some contraband sheet music if—” he paused, clearly for effect.

  “If what?” she asked finally.

  “If you give me a little kiss,” he said, smiling devilishly. “Go ahead, Jazz. Plant one on me. I never kiss and tell.”

  “Way to get a girl’s hopes up,” she complained as she turned away from him. She started walking away down the path, then called back over her shoulder, “But I don’t intend to fall into that little trap. One of these days, I’m going to see the world. The last thing I need is to let my father leg-shackle me to you.”

  “And you think you’re going to see it on Maurice’s watch?” Jonathan hooted. “If you don’t find yourself a husband to help you finance your little trip, you’ll be stuck right here forever.”

  Jasmine didn’t stop walking, but mentally his words gave her a pause. The man was right, of course. Even in today’s more modern world, a girl like her didn’t have too many choices. She didn’t want to cut off all her hair an
d parade around half naked with a cigarette hanging from her mouth, and she didn’t want to start waiting on tables either. So that meant putting up with her father, or putting up with a husband.

  She may not like it, but that was just the way she would have to live her life.

  THREE

  Jasmine knew she couldn’t stay outside for long. When she returned to the house, she found that her father and Jonathan had settled down by the fire in the parlor, where the maid had been told to send her. It didn’t seem like she would be able to get away from them that night.

  With a sigh, she came in and sat quietly in one of the chairs, taking up her needlepoint and speaking only when she was spoken to. Unfortunately, that was not often. The two men were talking about the little investment scare that had happened a couple of days before. Some bank had stepped up and bought more stocks, and they had followed the example themselves, instructing their man to buy. The two had high hopes that the decision had been right.

  “May I go to bed now, Papa?” Jasmine finally asked after a time.

  “Yes, of course,” he agreed. “But I’ll expect you to join us for breakfast in the morning. We’re planning a bit of an outing, and I’d like to bring you along. I know how restless you’ve been lately, never leaving the ranch all the time. You have Jonathan to thank from bringing that fact before my eyes.”

  “Well, then, I owe you my thanks,” she said to the other man with a slight smile. “Good night.”

  They were at breakfast the following morning. The butler brought in the telephone on a silver tray. The receiver was out of the cradle, set off to one side. “Sir? I know that you asked not to be disturbed unless the broker called,” he said with a worried look in his eyes. “He has indeed rung through, with some very urgent news.”

  Cut short in mid-sentence, Jasmine’s father cast the man the evil eye as he picked up the receiver and held it to his ear. “Rogers?” The other man’s voice sounded like a series of squawks, but whatever he was saying did not look like it was good news, judging by the way Maurice’s face fell. He looked as though he had just seen a ghost. He was barely able to set the receiver properly into the phone’s cradle again. “That will be all, Phillips,” he said, shooing the butler away again.